[GPCA-SGA-Votes] Discuss ID 157: Bylaws Amendment: Clarify Notice Requirements and Reset Quorum at a Minimum of 50% For Standing Committees’ Voting Membership

Thu Mar 1 17:57:22 PST 2018

No work can be accomplished if action can not be taken because of people
not attending meetings.  We need this change so we can move forward as a
party.  Seems pretty simple.

On Thu, Mar 1, 2018 at 5:17 PM james clark <faygodrinkit at gmail.com> wrote:

> To current quorum size is also intended to promote fairness.  Lowering the
> quorum enables committees to potentially exclude members in an attempt to
> move forward on issues some members may have objections to. I know there
> have been such issues in the past, and that some people are currently on
> strike, though I'm not 100% sure of the exact details of the strike.
>
> On Feb 28, 2018 7:47 AM, "Eric Brooks" <brookse32 at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Recruiting new volunteers takes time. We need the committees to be
>> functional immediately.
>>
>> There is no reason we can’t fix the current problem and also work on
>> getting more volunteers at the same time.
>>
>> The GPCA has a **lot** of committees. Requiring all of them to have such
>> a high quorum is holding us back.
>>
>> Eric Brooks
>> Media Committee
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* gpca-votes [mailto:gpca-votes-bounces at sfgreens.org] *On Behalf
>> Of *Ajay Rai
>> *Sent:* Saturday, February 24, 2018 1:07 PM
>> *To:* GPCA Discussion List for SGA Votes <gpca-votes at sfgreens.org>
>> *Subject:* Re: [GPCA-SGA-Votes] Discuss ID 157: Bylaws Amendment:
>> Clarify Notice Requirements and Reset Quorum at a Minimum of 50% For
>> Standing Committees’ Voting Membership
>>
>>
>>
>> Then the thing to do is to see why people are not volunteering when there
>> is so much enthusiasm and fix that issue, not apply band -aid..
>>
>>
>>
>> Ajay
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> *From:* gpca-votes <gpca-votes-bounces at sfgreens.org> on behalf of Eric
>> Brooks <brookse32 at hotmail.com>
>> *Sent:* Friday, February 23, 2018 7:51:28 PM
>> *To:* GPCA Discussion List for SGA Votes
>> *Subject:* Re: [GPCA-SGA-Votes] Discuss ID 157: Bylaws Amendment:
>> Clarify Notice Requirements and Reset Quorum at a Minimum of 50% For
>> Standing Committees’ Voting Membership
>>
>>
>>
>> There are few volunteers stepping forward to do that work. Wishing that
>> there were, doesn’t solve our quorum problem.
>>
>> Eric Brooks
>> Media Committee
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* gpca-votes [mailto:gpca-votes-bounces at sfgreens.org
>> <gpca-votes-bounces at sfgreens.org>] *On Behalf Of *Ajay Rai
>> *Sent:* Thursday, February 22, 2018 9:49 PM
>> *To:* GPCA Discussion List for SGA Votes <gpca-votes at sfgreens.org>
>> *Subject:* Re: [GPCA-SGA-Votes] Discuss ID 157: Bylaws Amendment:
>> Clarify Notice Requirements and Reset Quorum at a Minimum of 50% For
>> Standing Committees’ Voting Membership
>>
>>
>>
>> Isn't the point of being a member of a committee is to do the work of the
>> committee?  If some member does not have the time or  the inclination to at
>> least attend meetings, they should either resign, be removed or replaced?
>>
>>
>>
>> This proposal further weakens the committees by lower expectation of who
>> can be members of committees.  I think we should strengthen committee by
>> adding members who are willing to do the work rather weaken it by reducing
>> quorum count.
>>
>>
>>
>> Ajay
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> *From:* gpca-votes <gpca-votes-bounces at sfgreens.org> on behalf of Steve
>> Breedlove <srbreedlove at gmail.com>
>> *Sent:* Wednesday, February 21, 2018 11:26:08 AM
>> *To:* GPCA Discussion List for SGA Votes
>> *Subject:* Re: [GPCA-SGA-Votes] Discuss ID 157: Bylaws Amendment:
>> Clarify Notice Requirements and Reset Quorum at a Minimum of 50% For
>> Standing Committees’ Voting Membership
>>
>>
>>
>> To address your concern, James, committees, WG, etc are all responsible
>> to the GA. When mundane b.s. can't be addressed month after month because
>> of chronic absences we have to be willing to recognize that a party is an
>> organization that exists to do work. This is a simple solution. Also in
>> this proposal is clarification for meetings that are regularly scheduled
>> don't require notice. This is because the problem has been noted as people
>> not being in meetings and having an unrealistic quorum that castrated the
>> committee.  Now there's no excuse.
>>
>> I support this proposal.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Feb 21, 2018 9:27 AM, "Erik" <erikrydberg34 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> This proposal was brought forth by members of GPCA Members who actually
>> sit on Committees. We need our Committees to be functional. Please vote
>> yes.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Feb 20, 2018 at 11:49 PM Eric Brooks <brookse32 at hotmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> For our many small committees even the current quorum of 50% +1 is really
>> problematic. Half of our committees can’t make quorum because there are
>> just not enough people serving on committees. Committees are generally made
>> up of 8 people and that forces us to make sure 5 show up to reach quorum.
>> This is too high a bar, and 4 is much more manageable.
>>
>> And bear in mind that if a committee makes poor decisions, those can be
>> overruled by the GA/SGA, so a 2/3rds supermajority is not needed for
>> specialized committees.
>>
>> We badly need this amendment so that we can get our committees properly
>> functioning again.
>>
>> Eric Brooks
>> SF, CA
>> GPCA Media Committee Co-Coordinator
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* gpca-votes [mailto:gpca-votes-bounces at sfgreens.org] *On Behalf
>> Of *james clark
>> *Sent:* Tuesday, February 20, 2018 2:10 PM
>> *To:* GPCA Discussion List for SGA Votes <gpca-votes at sfgreens.org>
>> *Subject:* Re: [GPCA-SGA-Votes] Discuss ID 157: Bylaws Amendment:
>> Clarify Notice Requirements and Reset Quorum at a Minimum of 50% For
>> Standing Committees’ Voting Membership
>>
>>
>>
>> A quorum should be no less than 66.66% of voting members. Having a
>> smaller quorum leaves to much room for members to be excluded from
>> important votes and decisions.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Feb 15, 2018 12:45 PM, "GPCA Votes" <gpca.votes at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> *Please send your discussion comments to gpca-votes at sfgreens.org
>> <gpca-votes at sfgreens.org>*
>>
>>
>>
>> Discussion has begun for the following GPCA SGA ranked choice vote:
>>
>>
>>
>> Ranked Choice Vote ID #157
>>
>> Ranked Choice Vote *Bylaws Amendment: Clarify Notice Requirements and
>> Reset Quorum at a Minimum of 50% For Standing Committees’ Voting Membership*
>>
>> Ranked Choice Vote Administrators: Victoria Ashley, Brian Good, Laura
>> Wells, Eric Brooks, Mike Goldbeck
>>
>> Discussion  02/12/2018 - 03/25/2018
>>
>> Voting  03/26/2018 - 04/01/2018
>>
>> Voting ends at Midnight Pacific Time
>>
>>
>>
>> *Background*
>>
>>
>>
>> This proposal has been brought forth because in recent years a number of
>> standing committees of the Green Party of California (GPCA) have been
>> unable to conduct any business for lengthy periods of time due to failure
>> to reach quorum.  This state of affairs has often impeded the GPCA
>> Coordinating Committee (CC) from fulfilling its own responsibilities per
>> GPCA Bylaw 8-1.7 (“Request and receive reports from Committees and Working
>> Groups, refer matters to them, and monitor and assist their work”).  GPCA
>> standing committees are capped, for gender balance, at an even number of
>> members, and currently establish quorum at a majority of voting members.
>> This proposed amendment would establish the minimum quorum at least 50% of
>> standing committees’ voting membership.
>>
>>
>>
>> This proposal would also clarify an ambiguity in notice requirements for
>> calling meetings.  The language of GPCA Bylaw 9-3.1 is silent regarding
>> notice requirements for standing committees that establish regular meeting
>> schedules.  In practice, most if not all standing committees establish
>> regular meeting schedules for their work year.  The proposed language would
>> make explicit that two weeks’ notice is required for meetings that fall
>> outside a standing committee’s regular meeting schedule, should one be set.
>>
>>
>>
>> *Proposal*
>>
>>
>>
>> That GPCA Bylaw Article 9-3 be amended as follows:
>>
>>
>>
>> That Article 9-3 be amended from its current text:
>>
>>
>>
>> Section 9-3 Meetings
>>
>>
>>
>> 9-3.1 Committees shall meet during GPCA state meetings, on
>> teleconferences and otherwise as necessary to achieve the objectives
>> outlined in its work plan. Meetings must be called with a minimum of two
>> weeks notice to committee members.
>>
>>
>>
>> 9-3.2 The decision-making process for committees shall follow that
>> described for the General Assembly in 7-5.5. Quorum is a majority of the
>> committee's voting membership.
>>
>>
>>
>> To read as follows:
>>
>>
>>
>> Section 9-3 Meetings
>>
>>
>>
>> 9-3.1 Committees shall meet during GPCA state meetings, on
>> teleconferences and otherwise as necessary to achieve the objectives
>> outlined in their work plans. Meetings outside any regular meeting schedule
>> shall be called with a minimum of two weeks notice to committee members.
>>
>>
>>
>> 9-3.2 The decision-making process for committees shall follow that
>> described for the General Assembly in 7-5.5. Quorum shall be at least 50%
>> of the committee's voting membership.
>>
>>
>>
>> Sponsors: The proposed amendment has been endorsed and sponsored by the
>> Green Party of Butte County and the Green Party of Yolo County.
>>
>>
>>
>> Full details will be available at:
>> http://www.sjcgreens.org/sga_vote_bylaw_interpretations
>> <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sjcgreens.org%2Fsga_vote_bylaw_interpretations&data=02%7C01%7C%7C77d191a6173b4e351bc108d579755491%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636548467197857311&sdata=DbCkmGHdXYOZkK4HgADUsXABWZOVwI46BL9%2FHWal7Fw%3D&reserved=0>
>>
>>
>>
>> *Please send your discussion comments to gpca-votes at sfgreens.org
>> <gpca-votes at sfgreens.org>*
>>
>>
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>> --
>>
>> *Erik Rydberg *
>>
>> *Green Party of California(GPCA) Spokesperson*
>>
>>
>> *erikrydberg34 at gmail.com <erikrydberg34 at gmail.com> 530-781-2903
>> <(530)%20781-2903>*
>>
>>
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>>
>>
>>
>>
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-- 
Anthony J. Krzywicki,

*Co-coordinator GROW- Green Party CaliforniaCo-coordinator Ventura County
Green Party County Council*
www.venturacountygreenparty.com
greenpartyvc at gmail.com
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